


may I stand unshaken

by orphan_account



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: ?? - Freeform, Alternate Universe - Western, F/F, Some Cursing, This really got away from me, Violence, racism cw, red dead redeption au, this is so long!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:48:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24328309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: But Georgina is already reaching behind her for half of an apple, offering it up to the horse. He snatches it happily, slobbering away, content with the new presence. Crystal narrows her eyes. “Tryin’ to steal my man’s affections?” She asks, and  Georgina doesn’t seem to understand that she’s joking.Or:The long, probably terrible Western fic because these queens this season love a cowgirl look and I'm weak for the genre
Relationships: Gigi Goode/Crystal Methyd
Comments: 15
Kudos: 67





	may I stand unshaken

**Author's Note:**

> Finally! This took 3 days and I am not sure what i think about it yet but here we are! 
> 
> I just finished Red Dead Redemption and it got me feeling some kinda way so here is this.  
> Truely though this is just an excuse to write in current tense for a change.

Crystal first meets Georgina Goode when she’s running with Widow’s gang. 

They are visiting a nearby farming town, stocking up on supplies to bring back to camp. It is just herself and Jackie, and they are in no position to be getting involved in squabbles. They have a lot of hungry mouths to feed, and getting killed and robbed now would make the gangs’ life all the harder. 

The old wagon creeks and churns, and always threatens to give right out from under them. The dirt paths didn’t help, but it always got them where they needed to go. 

This town is a new stop for them. They travel often, making sure no one slips up and gives away their position on some drunken night. New stops are usually good. No one gets suspicious of passers through in these parts. 

Jackie disembarks first. She is better with money, and usually did the shopping routine while Crystal stayed with the horses. Jackie’s face is mostly covered by her sheets of fabric. She had explained once that this was cultural, and left it at that. The gang cared more for how you handled yourself than presented. And Jackie was very good at what she did. 

“The usual, Crystal, don’t wander off.”

“That was only once, and nothin’ lost!” Crystal called after her retreating figure, but Jackie waved her off. Huffing, she climbed down to offer Oscar and Louis a few nuts from her pockets. The two giant steeds were the heavy lifters of the herd, and she tried to give them the special attention she would her own mount, since they certainly deserved it. 

“Why the long faces, boys?” She’s askes, laughing at her own joke. They ignore her, and bite anxiously at the hitching post. Crystal gives Louis a pat. “We’ll be outta here soon, don’t you worry.” 

The gang did keep to themselves, and their animals reflected that, and didn’t like crowds. So, when shouting begins pouring out if the saloon down the street, they both toss their big heads in protest. Crystal immediately grips hold of the reins, just in case the post wouldn’t hold them. So distracted by her job, she almost misses the figure diving around the back of her wagon. 

She doesn’t though, and whips her head over to investigate. 

There’s a blonde woman, crouching behind one of the wheels. Crystal is not even sure if she’s aware she’s not alone. 

“You alright?” Crystal asks, a hint of hostility in her voice. The shouting from down the street feels nearer now, and she notices a deputy riding down the road, away from them. 

The woman starts at the sound, almost falls on her ass before managing to locate Crystal with wide eyes. Its only then that Crystal notices the bag around her waist, open. She can see a nice shine coming from inside, a glint of gold that draws the eye. The woman notices her noticing, and slides the flap closed to hide her loot. 

There’s a moment, when it all comes together in Crystal’s head; the shouting, the woman, the money. She doesn’t need much time to make a decision. 

“Get in the wagon.” She hisses, and the other woman takes her in, weighs her options, dives in over the edge. There’s a tarp in the back, and Crystal reaches in to quickly make sure everything is covered, and leans back against the wheels, to wait for Jackie. 

A few more men come by. They don’t even look at her, and she’s grateful. For all her criminal actions, she still can’t tell a lie to save a life. 

Jackie appears beside her, heavy bags in her arms, and a man following behind with the rest of the supplies. Crystal quickly comes up to relieve her. 

“Just leave that here, we’ll get the rest packed up.” Jackie is about to object, but Crystal shoots her a look and she lets it be. 

Once their alone, Jackie gives her a push. “Own up.”

Crystal just jerks her head towards the tarp, and Jackie seems to understand immediately. She jumps up onto the bed, and peeks under. The blonde’s eyes are still wide and panicked, and Jackie just sighs before covering her up again. 

“Alright let’s get outta here.” They finish loading the goods, and climb up into the seats. Crystal drives them a few miles out, in silence, until Jackie gestures for her to stop. 

Jackie doesn’t even get off, just turns around and uncovers the stranger. 

“Who are you, and tell me why we shouldn’t dump you here for the cougars?” 

Crystal says nothing, but leans back to watch the situation unfurl. The blonde woman stays low, but sits up to face them, legs crossed with her satchel between them. She looked a lot more self assured, despite hiding in amongst tins of apricots, with bags around her eyes like she’d been punched. 

“I’m Georgina, and I can pay for your assistance.” Jackie liked that answer. 

“Where are you going?”

That one seemed to throw her. “Um, to the nearest town?” 

“Surely not back there?” Crystal quips, and two sets of eyes finally land on her. Gigi narrows her eyes. 

Jackie senses a fight, and interjects. “We’re a bit out of the ways, the nearest town is a couple days ride from here, sweetheart.” 

Crystal turns to glare at her. There’s no need to mince words, but they cannot bring this girl back to camp. They’re over capacity as it is, with so many flyaway members joining up that’s its hard to feed everyone, never mind house them. But Jackie is a kind heart and Widow has never turned someone away who can pull their weight. 

That is how they end up bringing Georgina Goode into camp. 

It’s tense at first. Widow faces her down when she first arrives, and takes her into her tent while the rest of the girls unpack the supplies. Crystal finds herself looking over every so often. There was no gunfire or shouting, so Crystal supposes its going well. 

They emerge an hour later, a little drunk it seems, and Georgina is gifted a spare mat and blanket to sleep in for the night. She slumps down beside the fire and is out like a light. Crystal wonders how long its been since she’s slept. 

She approaches Widow later on, with Heidi beside her, looking for answers. “What’s her story?” She asks. Georgina is still fast asleep. 

Widow takes a long drag of her cigarette. 

“A floater it seems, pickpocketed her way here. Lost her horse some time ago and has been walking town to town. Seems she doesn’t really know what she’s doing.” Widow sighs. 

Crystal knows what’s coming. It was the same when she showed up, and Jan, and Heidi, and everyone else. Nomads that Widow takes pity on are this gangs bread and butter. Widow continues. “She’s gonna stick around until she’s back on her feet. Until then, make her welcome and shit.” 

Georgina sleeps until midday the next morning. 

*

She’s aloof, which Crystal doesn’t like. She doesn’t gel well with others and prefers her own company to the usual chats around the fire. 

But still, she can’t deny that she is an asset. Georgina had straight away gotten to work, gathering firewood, patching clothes, chopping food. She did the bits around the camp that were expected of her without guidance, and that was more than could be said for some. 

Crystal notices her staring sometimes. She assumes that she is just searching for familiar faces in the sea of new people, and tries to be more friendly. Georgina always looks away when Crystal smiles at her, but she always catches her still. She’s a strange one. 

On her fifth day in camp, a storm rolls in. It’s a tough one, and their lodgings are a shanty town at best, and a series of rags held up with sticks at worst. When the first signs came rolling around, there was a rush of activity, a bustle of work to get the horses ready, the tents nailed down and all the supplies stored safely. 

Georgina seems lost in the whole process, but Jan takes her under her wing and explains where everything goes. The first drops of rain begin at 7pm, and in the next hour it becomes torrential. Crystal’s glad she’s been here long enough to get a decent bed, held up with some pallets, but not everyone is so lucky. 

There is some doubling up going on, while some stick it out, their coats and tarps shielding them from the wind as best as possible, but its cold still, and there is that part of Crystal that misses her family’s house back in Mexico, but there was no going back there. Things were different now. She shuts down the thought. 

She can hear Rock snoring in the next tent, even over the rain, and can’t help the giggle that bubbles up in her chest. Aside from that, she can hear a loud groan by the fire pit, and glances up. She sees a slump of a person there, and can’t fathom who would be stupid or stubborn enough to stay out in the rain like that. 

With little sympathy, but a very working knowledge of how little money they had for medicine, Crystal threw on her rain jacket and wandered out towards the sleeping bag. It was soaked through, dark and muddy on the ground, but as soon as she got close enough, she knew exactly who it was. 

“Georgina?” She asks, shaking her shoulder hard. It doesn’t seem she was sleeping though, as her eyes snap open faster than Crystal can snatch her hand away. 

“What?” Crystal is startled by her tone of voice, but tries not to let it show. 

“I just noticed you’re still out, and there’s bound to be lightin’. Come sleep in mine.” 

Georgina was stiff, wary, and Crystal could feel the stress radiating off of her. She almost wishes she left the blonde to wallow out in the rain, but it was sad enough to watch from afar, never mind to sleep through. Eventually, after a few too many seconds, Georgina nods stiffly, and goes to stand. Crystal just nods, and rises to lead the way. 

The tent isn’t much warmer, and it’s not big by any sense of the word. But it has three walls and that’s three more than Georgina had before, and Crystal could see her visible relax without the rain pelting down on her skin. 

Crystal gets back to bed, and Georgina stands strangely for a moment. There’s not much room really, but Crystal turns around and tells her to just sit down, that she’s making her nervous, and throws her an extra blanket that she keeps for especially cold nights. 

The blonde murmurs her thanks, and she lays down beside her. They are silent for a moment, and Crystal listens to her breath unevenly for some time, waiting for her to fall asleep. 

It never comes though. Georgina’s teeth chatter, and her limbs lay stiffly straight, awkward sharing space with Crystal. It sparks her curiosity, but Crystal doesn’t think its time to breach backstories. Everyone had baggage, and often, it came very weighted. 

Instead, she feigns sleep, and turns over to face Georgina. She can’t bare listening to her shiver anymore. She wraps an arm around her side, spooning her from a comfortable distance, not too close to scare her. After all, she really didn’t know where this girl came from, or how she would respond to touch. 

It was instant. Georgina freezes in place even more, even her quacking body seemed to stop its sufferings while her mind whirred. Crystal tried to make her breathing as even as possible, as to not give herself away, and she’s not sure she’s pulling it off. Georgina has yet to move and time ticks by slowly, even with the way the thunder crashes around them. 

Eventually though, after so much time Crystal really is about to fall asleep, Georgina begins to relax. Her legs pull up closer to her chest, and she subtly pushes back against Crystal’s body, tucking in closer to the warmth she provided. Crystal can still feel her shivering a little, but the worst seems to have passed. 

She pulls the blonde in closer, and lets the night claim her. 

*

Georgina is a little awkward the next morning. She’s gone by the time Crystal wakes up, and avoids her all through breakfast. It stings a little; a thank you would have been nice. 

Still, she goes about the rest of her day, unfazed by the stunt. The people that had come in here and been completely comfortable right away were few, so she didn’t think on it. 

She went hunting, came back with some rabbits, and tossed them in to be butchered, before tending to her horse. His coat was curly and needed extra care, but she was always glad to do it. 

The horses had their own section of camp, with a little fenced area to keep them from wandering off. It was more of a rope than a fence, but they never went far, even when they did escape. But her fella never ran off. 

“What’s his name?” Crystal jumps, but relaxes when she sees it’s only Georgina. She’s not used to her voice yet. 

“El.” She replies, and goes back to trying to untangle the knots in his mane. 

“He seems to really trust you.” Crystal’s not sure what garnered her this attention, but she’s not about to pass up talking to the new girl. As much as she doesn’t like the idea of having to work even harder to support the group, Georgina had given up a lot of her stolen money to the lockbox for giving her a place, and that was enough to chase away any lingering resentment. 

That made her a member of the gang. And that meant a new person to talk to, who had stories she hadn’t heard at least twice, and maybe even some tricks to teach the others. So Crystal relented. 

“I’ve had him since I left home, stole him from a ranch near the docks.” She said. “Can’t bear to replace him, even though he is slow as shit.” 

Georgina laughs a little, and reaches up to pet his massive dark head. He reaches up, big lips slapping together. “El!” Crystal chides. “Sorry, he’s so greedy.” 

But Georgina is already reaching behind her for half of an apple, offering it up to the horse. He snatches it happily, slobbering away, content with the new presence. Crystal narrows her eyes. “Tryin’ to steal my man’s affections?” She asks, and Georgina doesn’t seem to understand that she’s joking. She blinks a few times, confused, and Crystal can’t help but laugh at her. 

“Do you have one?” She winces at her own question, remembering Widow mentioning Georgina had lost her own mount. Georgina didn’t seem to affected though, and let her fingers thread through El’s thick hair as she spoke. 

“None I had quite a relationship with anyway. I had one when I was younger who I adored, but recently… well I need to find that someone special it seems.” She said, smiling for the first time Crystal has known her, and it strikes her how pretty Georgina is. She had sharp features and a wonderful figure, no callouses on her hands. She wonders what landed her here. 

Crystal hands her a brush so she can make herself useful, and Georgina rounds El to begin his coat on the other side. “I can take you into town if you’d like, get you settled with a new one. You must still have some cash left. I saw that bag y’know?” 

Georgina’s eyes flick up to meet hers, startled it seems, and Crystal throws her a smile, trying not to come off threatening at all. The blonde goes back to working on her task, but nods her thanks. 

“That’s truly kind of you, it’s Crystal right?” she speaks it like a question, but her tone of voice assures Crystal she knows she’s correct. “Sorry, it’s a lot of new names to learn all at once.”

“I can’t say I get that, been here longer than most.” Crystal replies. “But you’re Georgina right?” She replies, in the same tone, and it earns her a laugh. It’s a lovely sound. 

“I mostly go by Gigi… Georgina is my god given name but it’s a mouthful.” She said bashfully. She can’t be much older that twenty, and Crystal wonders if it’s a childhood nickname. 

“Well I think its pretty, but Gigi suits you.” Georgina – Gigi – seems to enjoy that, smiling again even as she refuses to look at her. Crystal finds her charming, even if she is stubborn and still a little stand offish. Crystal can see she will be fine with time, once she gets comfortable with so many big personalities in one area. 

Gigi does struggle a little, butting heads with other gang members and even getting in one physical fight where drink was involved, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. She was a talented pickpocket with a good eye for expensive trinkets, and though she refused to skin a deer, she could shoot one as well as anyone else. 

She had yet to bring up the lack of men in camp. That was, until she sees Jacking and Jan locking lips chastely outside the medical tent one day and is frozen stupid for a few moments, staring at them without shame. Crystal gives her a dig in the ribs. 

“It’s rude to watch.”

“Is that why there are no men here?” She cuts straight to the point. Crystal shrugs. 

“Not, like, specifically. There are only women here because that’s how we like it. If those women want to be with other women, while we’re here, that’s just double the fun, right?”

Gigi just nods her head with a little stiffness in her neck, but lets it slide. There are other circumstances later too, with friendship expressed physically between some of the other girls drawing tension of the new girl. It wasn’t comfortable, but Gigi was getting used to it. There was no ire in her anyway, just a sense of curiosity. At least that’s what Crustal picked up. 

Crystal had officially accepted her to be a consistent part of the gang after two months and as many moves. The gang had found themselves nearer to the bayou than they liked, but the weather had stopped them in their tracks. Wheels and mud was a connection that could not be broken by will alone, after all. 

People came and went as their desires hit them, and it seems they had too few members to fully get the camp moved. Gigi didn’t enjoy the area, and spent most of her time fighting the flies and eyeing the alligators. She acted as of she had never seen one before, and it was insane. Jaida even shot one to show it off to her, and Gigi had been obsessed with the texture of its skin. Jaida explained that you needed to go for the head, since the hide could often be stronger than you anticipate. 

She and Crystal had gone to a stable not too long after their first move with her, and she had bought a lovely grey mare that she was still getting used too. Crystal bothered her constantly to name the beast, but she hadn’t found one that would stick the way she wanted it too. In the meantime though, she had not taken it for granted to have that freedom again. 

She rode out at least once a day, to hunt or just for fun, sometimes alone and sometimes with another person. Mostly with Crystal though. 

She showed off the saddle she had crafted from the dead alligator with pride, and Crystal had to admit, it was not undeserving of it. It was beautifully made, and sat easily atop Gigi’s horse. She had used the girth strap from her old saddle to keep it all in place, but as Crystal ran her hand across it, she noted how soft the harsh scales had been made. 

“You could sell these.” She notes aloud. Gigi hummed. 

“I’ve done that, you’d be surprised how few people have money to buy speciality items.”

Crystal snorts, because she hasn’t had money since… she can’t remember. “Understandable, but it really is a shame. In another world, maybe that ones a bit more interesting.” 

They ride out along the wetlands, carefully avoiding snakes as they went. Crystal often let Gigi set the pace, comfortable to just enjoy the evening on horseback, rather than at camp where she might be given actual work to complete. 

She had became fast friends with Gigi, even so as the other girls could notice it. They prodded Crystal constantly for information, because even comfortable, Gigi was hardly very open, but Crystal really didn’t have that much to tell, because it wasn’t too different with her. 

Gigi came to a stop on the outskirts of the beach. It’s a long, grey line of sand that looks as depressing and wet Gigi had the night of the storm. Crystal has no intentions of going near it, but Gigi knows how to push her, and challenges her to a race.

There’s no clear finish line, or direction, but they set off anyway, charging into a gallop as the chase grows serious. Gigi’s mare is younger and faster than El, but Crystal can’t help but laugh at the serious glint in blue eyes when Gigi turns to jeer her on. 

“If I win you can buy me a whiskey later!” Gigi calls back to her. Crystal can barely here her over the wind. 

“You can’t place a bet in the middle of a race!” She shouts, and Gigi is laughing wildly as they race around the cliffs edge, until the beach ends abruptly, and they pull the horses to a trot before they can go flying out into the sea. 

“You owe me a drink.”

“I owe you nothin’.” Crystal rode over to give her a shove, and dismounted to stretch her legs. Gigi followed suit, presenting a spike from her satchel to stake the horses down for a moment. 

“El would never wander off, your Silver on the other hand…” 

“How very dare you! And that is not her name.” Gigi pets the animal defensively. 

“Eventually you lose naming privileges, even if she is yours.” Crystal laughed at the affronted look on her companion’s face, but reached for the sky and felt her joints pop as she did. “Maybe a drink would be nice.”

Gigi grins. They aren’t far from one of the bigger towns around, its got a stupid name that Gigi is sure someone told her but she can’t be bothered to remember, but its late, and they agree to rain check for next time. 

*

Nicky re-joins them near Azuza one day. She’s a lone wolf of sorts, and probably the best tracker of human beings this world has ever seen, because she locates them easily.

She arrives into camp much to the excitement of the other girls, with treats and presents that the girls devour like savages. She never stays for long, but she always knows how to get a good session started, so when Crystal sees her, she mentally begins to face her hangover tomorrow. 

What she doesn’t expect is for Gigi to hit it off so nicely with Nicky, though in hindsight it makes perfect sense. They are very similar souls it seems, and Gigi can’t seem to get enough of picking her brain. It makes something Crystal doesn’t recognise right away raise its ugly green head in her chest. 

Still, she ignores it, and stays up late laughing with them and Jackie about how Brita had once blown an undercover job by laughing, startling the police with its boisterous nature, and causing at least two arrests. 

When she finally excuses herself, after she visits the restroom, she finds Gigi already in her tent, looking very drunk and very sheepish. 

“I think they gave Nicky my tent.” 

“That’s fair, its technically hers.” Crystal said, and she wasn’t lying. It was an awful thing, but it was Nicky’s back up home whenever she schemes didn’t go as planned, and she ended up back with them. “You can stay here.” She answers the unspoken question and Gigi grins at her, quelling that earlier monster. 

This time, Gigi snuggles right up against her. She lays her head on Crystal’s shoulder, and wishes her goodnight, before closing her eyes. She’s out before Crystal can even relay that same message back to her. The contrast between this and the last time they had shared quarters was strange. 

Sleeping together (platonically or otherwise) was not strange for the group, but Crystal can’t lie to herself. She’s nervous when Gigi laced their fingers together, and brings them up to her chest to cuddle in her sleep. She’s jealous watching her speak with Nicky, hushed and excited to share a passion. 

She decides that, at least for now, she must let herself sleep. There is no way to solve these issues now, and Gigi is warm and soft in her arms. 

The next morning Gigi is still there, her head spinning and whining at Crystal for water until she finally got up and got it for them both. She’s sure her brain would have liquefied and poured out her ears if Gigi kept it up any longer. 

Outside, no one else is looking much better. Heidi gives her an exhausted shrug from the fire, where she is prepping some hot water for them all in the stew pot. Everyone would need a cup of coffee that morning. Crystal leaned down to give her a silent side hug as she passed, groaning instead of a greeting, and Heidi gave a whistle back, equally broken it seems. 

Gigi is watching from the tent like an animal in a zoo, bored fascination all over her face and she reaches desperately for the water. Crystal’s worried she’ll throw it right back up again with the speed at which she disposes of it. 

“You okay there, darling’?” She asks, subtly making sure there was a bucket nearby. 

“I have never felt like this.”

“Hungover?” Crystal didn’t believe that. 

“This is not a hangover; this is a lobotomy.” She sounds so genuinely pained and upset that Crystal doesn’t mind tending to her, and brings her coffee once its brewed until Gigi decides she can stand to see the sun again. 

Nicky laughs at her when she sees her climb out of the tent like a new born deer, on shaky legs. “This is your fault!” Gigi points accusingly, and Nicky barks a laugh. 

“Americans! You should know better than to try outdrink me.” 

Everyone takes it easy that day, and Nicky reveals she would only be staying for a week. She has a ship she’s meeting in port on Friday, carrying a very rich man that she is very interested to meet. Its all very high class compared to what the rest of them are used too. 

Crystal finds herself oddly relieved. 

*

She comes back from a shopping trip one day, to find Gigi and Nicky kissing behind the supply wagon. Its an awkward encounter for all parties involved. Least of all Nicky, who laughs at the two of their shocked expressions and asks if they have sticks up their asses or if they’re just that boring. 

Crystal eyes Gigi shuffling slowly out of eyesight, and though she’s a bit peeved, directs her energy to Nicky. “You wouldn’t know interesting, tell Gigi here how ‘boring’ you used to be.” She tone is clipped, but she’s smiling, and Nicky doesn’t seem to take any notice of any underlying displeasure. 

“Crystal here was my first girl kiss.” Nicky sidles over to lay her head on Crystal’s shoulder. “She was very sweet to me.” 

“Yeah I was, now get moving, there’s work to do around here, lovebirds.” She pushes Nicky off her, and the French girl takes her leave to join the others, where a few of them are trying to master juggling apples, very unsuccessfully. 

Gigi seems uncomfortable, and Crystal asks her if she is okay. 

“Yeah – yes, of course. Just… that was my first ‘girl kiss’.” Crystal feels a little jealous again. 

“Really?”

“Yes.” Gigi begins to shred a piece of hay she picks from the side of the wagon. 

“Just something that’s come up since Nicky then?” Gigi shakes her head at Crystal’s question, looking down and refusing to meet her eyes, even as Crystal tries her best to do just that. She can sense the fear that blonde puts out into the air. 

“No one here will judge you.” She says. “You can be honest here.” 

Gigi finally looks up at her, and her eyes are full of unshed tears that pull at Crystal’s heart strings. She opens her mouth to say something, but no words come to mind, so she decides to school her face into a smile, as warm as she can make it when Gigi’s tears are starting to pour. Crystal always cries when she sees other people upset. It’s a bad trait to carry in this line of work. 

But Gigi pulls herself together before the real water works can start, clearing her throat and straightening her shirt. It’s one of Jaida’s, Crystal notices, and she’s glad that the two of them are getting along.

“I know.” Gigi finally says, quietly, almost a whisper but not quite. “But I would appreciate your digression.”

“With Nicky already out there, I don’t think you need it, but you got it!” Crystal’s just glad she’s not crying anymore. Gigi grins at her, but she can see the way blue eyes tilt uneasily in Nicky’s direction. 

“Do you want me to talk to her?” Crystal asks, but Gigi shakes her head. 

“If I can’t do this here, there’s nowhere I’ll be comfortable.” She speaks through tight lips, and Crystal can tell this is a big deal for her. She reaches out to give her arm a squeeze before pulling back. Gigi looks up at her and she sees something spark in her gaze. 

“So, you and Nicky?”

Crystal rolls her eyes. “A million years ago.” She says, and Gigi laughs, licking her lips for a moment too long. Crystal can see her tongue running over her teeth as she retracts. “She’s a good friend now.” 

Gigi just hums, and excuses herself to get some dinner. Crystal doesn’t see her turn back as she leaves, and goes back to her tent. 

*

“So, what’s the plan?” Jan is sitting at the bar with an expression that does not match her tired tone of voice. It took her a long time to get her vocal range under control when it came to jobs, and when she first joined up she had blown many a heist by getting too loud and too excited. 

Today was just something small. The payment was coming into a small mining town later that day. If they could snatch it before it was locked away, it would feed them all for a month. It was high stakes, even if it wasn’t especially difficult. 

The general plan was to ambush them, while still some ways away from town, hopefully just leave the drivers in the wagon and just escape before they could get to a sheriff. It’s just Crystal, Jan, and Jaida running today. 

“Lets ride out.” Jaida pays for their beer and drags Crystal up by the scruff of her jacket. 

The money was due to be delivered sometime in the afternoon, and they set off along the road towards where the bounty should be approaching. It’s tense, and silent, and not for the first time, Crystal wonders if she’s outgrown this life. It seems that no one ever really did, and she is certainly not the oldest among them, but there is no joy in upholstering her weapon to point at the poor man at the front of the cabin. 

Jaida does all the talking, orders them out of the wagon and to line up in front, where the other girls can watch them. There’s only four men, and it really is an easy meal ticket. Jaida grabs the case of money, and places it carefully into her saddlebag. Once done, she upholsters her gun and gestures to the others. Crystal knocks out the two men in front of her with the butt of her weapon. The last two cower as Crystal wanders off, letting the other women deal with the strays. 

“Hey!” She hears Jan shout behind her, and spins around. One of the men is making a run for it. It seems so foolish in such an open and flat area, but she’s screaming and yelling and Crystal feels panic surround her. She fires off a shot, misses, and the man jumps high in fight. Jaida tries, and again they miss. By this time, he’s out of range. It’s all over in a second. 

“Leave him, there’s no one around for a mile.” Jaida shrugs, holsters her weapon, and Jan takes the last one out. 

Crystal is anxious. “I could ride after him…”

“Don’t. You’ll get yourself seen, or worse. We got the coin, lets go home.” Jan is already celebrating by the time they mount up, talking about the food they’ll have, and how she could buy some clothes maybe, since hers are falling apart already. Crystal is calmed by the excitement; the promise of a good night with the girls was enough to have her riding happily alongside. 

They didn’t pull down their bandanas until they were certain no one was following, and took the long way home. Leading anyone back to camp would be disaster, since they were so many outlaws in one spot, but it was certainly safe, after riding around aimlessly for a few hours. Crystal’s legs ached by the time they rode in, and she almost fell once her feet hit the ground. El gave her a shove just to make it more likely. 

Heidi is there to steady her. “How’d it go?” 

“Smooth as you can hope for.” She replies, and Heidi is excited by the prospect. “One guy got away.” She tacked on at the end. 

“Masks on?” Heidi asked. She’s eating some bread, and El is itching to take it from her, until Heidi relents and hands it over. “He’s gettin’ chunky, girl.” 

“Don’t be cruel. But yeah, all safe. How’s the girls?” Heidi quickly launches into a tale of intrigue and wonder regarding a lost and loaded firearm and its immediate discovery once Jackie got involved. 

And Crystal listens, while she brushes El down, but her mind is elsewhere. Finally, she spots Gigi by the edge of camp, threading a patch through a pair of working pants. She smiles when Crystal meets her eye, and she feels a blush crawl up her face. Heidi regards her for a moment. 

“What’s going on between you two?” She asks, genuinely. Crystal doesn’t feel any fear discussing her sexuality with people any more, but there’s still a piece of her that wants to keep this to herself. Between the two of them. At least until there’s something to tell. 

“Y’know, nice to have some new faces around, you go stir crazy hearin’ about the same shit every day.”

“We are creatures of habit.” Heidi replies, shrugging her shoulders and heaving El’s saddle off to where all of their tack is dumped in a pile. She never pushed too hard, especially when she saw someone struggling like Crystal was, trying not to let her eyes drift over to Gigi while she worked. 

She’s startled out of her skin yet again when a hand lands down on her shoulder. 

“Jeez, Louise!” Gigi is hollering at her, and Crystal’s frozen for a moment when she looks at her. El is a lot quicker, and pushes into Gigi’s chest, looking for treats. She distracts him with a mint and a pet. “You’re always off in your own world, aren’t you, Crystal?” She asks, and she looks so stunning in the early evening light that Crystal forgets they’re both standing about a metre away from faeces. 

“Something like that.” She finally forces herself to speak. 

“Ever the mystery. I’m sorry, I’m always surprising you.” Gigi’s voice is so soft and light it almost knocks her for a loop. It only truly occurs to her then that the feelings she may have for the new girl may be more than just interest in a new (pretty) face. 

“Surprise away, I like it.” Crystal finally says, and watches Gigi blush. It’s much more noticeable on her pale skin. It makes her bold. “We’re going out to the bar later, in the next town over, to celebrate. I’ll buy you that drink.” 

Gigi’s eyes drop to the floor, but she nods, and asks what she can do to help. Crystal sends her over to where the rest of the girls are struggling to get Oscar into his harness. Gigi watches her the entire time she stands there, holding the other horse still while the girls wrangle him in so they can leave. 

Widow agrees to stay and watch the base, along with a few others who aren’t feeling the scene, and they head out. Jackie drives them, much to chagrin of Jaida who swears it’s her thing and that should be respected, while the rest of them are piled into the bed of the wagon, a mess of hats and boots that is as uncomfortable as it is bumpy. But there’s a joy to it. It’s the reason they are all there in the first place. 

Heidi had snagged a bottle of whiskey for the ride to town, and they pass it around as they share talk and songs. Crystal watches Gigi laugh with them, her demeanour so different from those first few days, and its relaxing. It reminds her why she’s here, and why she can’t go back to the kind of life with the house and the dog and the vegetable garden. 

They are miles away from where they first picked Gigi up, but when they pull in, Crystal sees something flash across her face. It’s only there for a moment, before it’s gone, replaced with the same rambunctious excitement that was there before. Crystal stores the moment away for later. 

They pull up some way away from the saloon, and tie up the horses near the stable, where they can have someone keep an eye on them for cheap. It’s a brand new place for some of them, and they tumble out like children onto the cobbled streets. 

“Not a bad place!” Jan says, taking in the stone buildings. Their destination wasn’t so fancy, as they were too indiscrete to pass by unnoticed in a nice place, but it was big. Almost a barn, with steps leading up to beds for those who could not handle the trip home. Paradise. 

Crystal leans heavily on the bar, orders herself a whiskey and chokes it back quickly. Its burning sensation down her throat makes the day seem faded and distant, and she’s feeling good by the time Gigi settles on the stool beside her. 

“Startin’ without me?” She asks? Her voice has begun to lose the crispness it held when they first met. Crystal finds the new ease with which she talks suits her. She’s keeping her hat low over her face, and her shoulders are hunched, but her eyes are excited. 

“If you were serious about your drinking you would have been here sooner.” Crystal says, and orders another two drinks. “Here, your ‘winnings’.”

Gigi takes the glass, and looks at it deeply. “This isn’t even clean.” She mutters, before shaking her head and raising her glass to clink it against Crystal’s before she could drain it. “To many more!” Gigi says, before swallowing her drink with a wince. 

“Not too many more, it seems.” Crystal laughs at the way Gigi’s body relaxes, the alcohol hitting her hard.

Crystal is not sure how many drinks she ends up buying for Gigi, or for herself, or for the other girls, but she only stops when her pockets stop producing coins. 

Its chaos. Someone’s playing piano, but all Crystal sees is Jaida and Gigi’s reflection in the window over their heated game of cards. Jackie is also there, but seems to have folded, and watches the two of them narrow eyes while they stare each other down. There’s only a glass of whiskey where the chips should be, and Crystal forces herself to her feet to make her way over. 

“Don’t let her do that.” She slurs, gesturing to the drink.

“What?” Jackie is a bit more lucid it seems, and is the only one to look at her. Crystal slaps her hands down on Gigi’s shoulders. 

“This one. Don’t let her drink that.”

“Aha!” Jaida cheers, and grabs the glass before Gigi’s protests can leave her lips. 

“Why?” Gigi complains, but her voice is wavering, and she tries to stand only to fall right back into her seat. The sharp sound of the chair against the floor draws the attention of the other girls. 

“Slow down, Geege, you’ll make a mess in the wagon!” Someone shouts, and Crystal hooks her arms under Gigi’s to pull her to her feet. 

“I’ll go get her some air.” She says, while Jaida continues to poke Gigi’s ego, but the girl is so drunk she struggles to form a coherent sentences, never mind witty comebacks. 

The night is chilly, and sobering, and Crystal immediately lights up a cigarette to keep herself warm. Gigi shudders in her breeze, and leans unsteadily against the wall. Crystal brought them around to the back, where she could dump Gigi in the grass to let her cool off if she started heaving, but she’s holding it together by the time Crystal puffs out her first drag. 

“You don’t drink much?” It’s a question, but sounds more like a statement. 

“I wasn’t allowed to drink much.” Gigi slurs, and Crystal’s attention is snagged. She joins Gigi as she leans against the wall. 

“Allowed?” 

“Wasn’t allowed to do a lot of things.” Gigi is staring in front of her, not at anything in particular it seems, but Crystal finds following her gaze into the distance lessens the dizziness. Gigi’s hand winds its way into hers and she starts, but the warmth is welcome. 

Gigi sighs, a long and drawn out sound. Crystal doesn’t want to push, but she’s desperate to know more about this woman, so she squeezes her hand to bring her back to earth. “You okay?” 

“M’okay.” Gigi leans down heavily on her, her eyes slow and heavy. “You’re so pretty. Pretty girl.” Her free hand makes its way to Crystal’s face, and Crystals not sure if she’s breathing, but her chest feels tight and painful when she meets Gigi’s eyes. 

“You’re pretty too, Gigi.” She says. Gigi breaks into a grin. She’s so close and Crystal is so drunk, so she presses their lips together. She half expects Gigi to push her off, to curse her out and never see her again, but Gigi just pulls her in by the back of the neck, deepening the kiss. She tastes like beer and the kiss is sloppy at best, but Crystal’s body comes alight under her touch, and she pulls Gigi in by her hips, and delights in the sounds she makes. 

Gigi smiles widely against her, and Crystal kisses the side of her mouth, slowing them down. There’s a laugh building up in her chest, and before she knows it she’s leaning down on Gigi’s shoulder to expel it, and Gigi is gripping hard onto her arms, the roles reversed as she takes over in steadying them. Crystal takes in a deep breath, the smell of lavender and earth and drink surrounding her. 

She’s stiff in her arms, and Crystal meets her eye. She’s clearly nervous, even with her inhibitions low. Crystal suddenly realises she thinks she’s laughing at her. “No, sorry, I’m just really drunk.” She gasps through short breaths. “I really wanted to kiss you. For so long now.” 

Gigi brightens a little, and leans in to kiss her again. She only manages a few brushes of their lips before she feels too nauseous with her eyes closed and needs to sit in the floor. 

They sit holding hands until Gigi feels she can stand again, in silence enjoying the night. Its oddly noisy, with the piano still audible behind them, and the sounds of a distant pack of coyotes calling out to each other. Every so often, Crystal tightens her grip on her hand, checking in to make sure Gigi is managing herself, and isn’t going to be sick, but she pulls herself through. 

Just before they head back inside, Gigi pulls her to a stop. “I wanted to kiss you too, by the way.” She seems bashful all of a sudden, and it’s a weird look on her. “You’re beautiful.” She kisses her once more, much more chaste than last time. The world isn’t spinning so fast anymore, but Crystal still feels her stomach flip at the contact. 

The night ends rather abruptly after that. They make it inside, where a shouting match has broken out between some of the girls and a bunch of men slouched by the bar. Crystal gives Gigi’s hand a squeeze and drops it, rushing over. “What’s going on?” 

“This son of a bitch,” Jaida hisses towards a balding man in newly polished boots. “Had some opinions about our being here. Some more than others.” He rises from his feet with a glower, and suddenly Gigi is there at her side again, hands around her wrist. 

Crystal’s good though. She’s nit much of a fighter, but she can be in the mood for a brawl when needs be. One look at this guy was enough to settle that. But Jackie is there, ever the voice of reason, to grab Jaida and pull her back. 

“Oh, and what the fuck are you then?” He reeks of whiskey, and Jackie’s eyes narrow as he roams her face, her hijab. Jaida’s bristling again, and Crystal can feel Gigi shaking behind her. She’s not sure who moves first, but the man’s eyes blow wide when he looks at them, and there’s a flurry of motion. Suddenly the man’s nose is bleeding and his buddies are up and swaying. 

Crystal’s so drunk she’s not sure how she gets out unscathed. Her knuckles hurt and her head spins, but the girls spill out the door not two minutes later, and Jan’s hurling insults back at them as they go. She’s got one of her eyes closed, and it looks like it like bruise up tomorrow. 

“Inbred bastards don’t know where to pick fights!” She cries, leaning heavily down on Jackie for support. She seems drunker than most and Crystal relates. Gigi on the other hand seems pulled together, and wanders behind them with her head down. 

“All good, sweetheart?” Crystal asks, stumbling backwards so she can face her. She’s still slurring her words and little and can’t help but giggle. Her own voice sounds distant. Gigi offers up a weak smile. 

“I’m okay.” Her hands are a little bloody when Crystal takes them, but she seems to recover fast, running ahead to get a good spot in the wagon. Crystal feels too exhausted to follow. 

The trip home is long. Some of the girls fall asleep, others are singing sea shanties brokenly as they move. Its dark out, but Jackie has a torch hanging off the side to guide them, and the horses seem to know the way. They keep it slow as to not jostle anyone’s stomach too much. 

Gigi crawls into Crystal’s bed again that night, and cuddles up to her until Crystal’s head is under her chin. “Goodnight.” She whispers against Crystal’s mane of hair. 

“Goodnight, Gigi.”

The next morning, once Crystal pulls herself from Gigi’s grasp and out into the harsh midday light, she’s met by the girls crowded around the dining area. She greets them quietly, and suddenly all eyes are on her. 

“Have you seen Gigi this mornin’?” Widow asks, and Crystal’s confused. 

“She slept in mine, why?”

Jan throws the poster down in the table between them. It’s a fairly accurate drawing, meaning that its very clearly Gigi. Her hair is dark, and she is missing a scar through her right brow, but there is her name, just below it the picture, in big black letters. ‘Georgina Goode. Wanted: $2500’

“We found it in the store last night.” 

Crystal can’t tear her eyes away. ‘Wanted: for Arson and attempted murder’. It’s nothing wildly strange, especially for a woman, but the presence of the poster means they are possibly near where these crimes took place. Near Gigi’s home. “When did you even go to the store?” She asks. “And why does this matter?” 

“It matters that she didn’t tell us. She could have been spotted last night. We could have been tailed. We have to move. Today.” 

Crystal feels exhausted already, and the thought of packing up her stuff makes her feel sick. She glances back at her tent, and sees Gigi laying halfway out, watching her. She walks back with little pep in her step.

“You need to get up.” Gigi narrows her eyes, and looks like she’s about to argue. “We’re moving.”

Gigi coughs, her throat dry and sore. “Why?” Its shaky, and Crystal finds she doesn’t believe her. 

“You know why.” She says. She’s already opening her trunk to throw her limited amount of clothes in. It’s a semi colourful mess of fabric, bits she’s found from all over, and she hates having left this place without adding to it. Gigi is frozen in place, and she decides to elaborate. “The girls found a wanted poster. Yours. Obviously.” 

There’s a beat of silence. “You should have told us as soon as we pulled in.” 

“I didn’t think they would still be looking for me.” Gigi says. She sounds so small and the frustration bleeds away. “Its my parents… they have money. I guess they don’t stop when there’s money.” 

Gigi hasn’t shared much about her past – her real past – with Crystal. And it makes sense. Gigi, even when she had nothing, carried herself differently than the others. More like Nicky. Like she knows how to play the part. It makes sense. 

But Crystal knows the area, knows the kind of money that lives here, and her jaw is tight with stress. Gigi watches her, eyes wide, before she begins to ramble. “I didn’t want that life, and one day I was in the stables, and… someone was shot, and there was so much blood. I just ran.” Gigi’s head is pounding, and she doesn’t think she’s making sense. 

“Did you kill someone?” Crystal asks. She’s stopped her packing to turn her attention to the other woman, even as she knows times ticking. This is the most she’s gotten out of Gigi in the best part of a year. 

“No! No, my father did. He shot her, um, this girl I was… who was working in the stables. She took a torch down with her, it was my torch. It burned down the whole barn.” She’s staring down at her hands, eyes locked open and glassy. Its unnerving, and Crystal wants to take her hand to comfort her. This isn’t the girl she knows at all. 

“He was so angry, and I had to leave. So I left.” Gigi is breathless when she finishes. She’s never told this story before today, and its scrambled in her head. 

“Its been, um, God its been seven years now, I think?” Gigi says, and she’s almost crying. “You’re right. I should have said something.” 

Crystal nods, taking it in. “How did you survive seven years?” She asks, keeping quiet as possible.

“I stole a lot of money on my way out.” Gigi actually smiles for a moment then. “I blew a lot of it in the first few months, but I’m not actually bad at poker, when I don’t drink.” She sighs. “And here I am.” 

“Here you are.” Crystal says. She’s not shy about her own past. She and her family being driven off their land when she was too small to remember, moving to America, the whole ordeal. She had told Gigi the stories that her parents told her, of burning and riding until you couldn’t feel your legs anymore, gun fights and violence. 

She understands why she hasn’t brought this up her own. Many of the girls here were from difficult backgrounds, and struggled for their livelihoods. Some more than others. Some at the expense of people like Gigi’s ancestors, while others stood right there with her. She supposes Gigi hasn’t broken the backstory ring yet with all of them. 

“Go talk to Widow.” Crystal says. She’s goes back to packing. “Explain yourself and see what she thinks, okay?” 

“Okay.” Gigi stands, buckles her pants back up, and goes to leave before turning to Crystal. “Are we okay, after last night? And, uh, now?” 

Crystal shoots her a weak smile. “We’ll talk about it later.” She replies. “But we’re fine.” She tacks on at the end, noticing the worry in the blonde’s eyes.

“Good, because I… I really like and respect you. I don’t want to look bad in your eyes.” She swallows like its agony, which it may well be, and takes her leave. Crystal watches her go out of the corner of her eye until she disappears.

*

Gigi leaves them halfway through their journey. She says she needs to deal with something, and waves off anyone and everyone who tries to accompany her. Its just a loose end, she says. They tell her their general direction, and explain how to track their movements should she lose them, and let her go. 

Crystal watches her trotting away from them across a plain of grass farther than she can see. She watches until she vanished into the horizon. She supposes she shouldn’t have expected Gigi to hang around forever. As she knew before, the group wasn’t essential to all. Some people liked to be alone. It was a strange concept to her, but she knew that’s how people were.

They had talked about the kiss, and kissed some more, but she still disappeared when her time came. 

She doesn’t see her again for a year. 

Widow explains that Gigi’s guilt was too much, and that she had insisted she leave. It was difficult to hear. Gigi did plan to come back, or at least that’s what she told Widow, but as the weeks passed and there was no sign of her, Crystal didn’t expect much. 

Drifters drift, and she had forgotten that. She had gotten too comfortable having someone every day. And that was done. 

*

The gang falls apart when the bank heist goes wrong. Half of them are dead, and the survivors take off separately, in order to keep each other safe. It’s a rain of tearful goodbyes and it breaks Crystals heart all over again. These people had become family since she lost hers, and watching them leave, even if it was just for now, was painful. 

Jackie explains that they can contact each other. She has a post-box not far from the border, where they can post letters detailing their whereabouts, and sets everyone up with fake names, explains they will need to lie consistently, and not to get sloppy. She leaves Crystal with a tight hug and a carrot for El. 

It’s as hard as she imagined it would be. Being alone again. Crystal finds herself in towns more often than not, ignoring the awful people that frequented them, but the nights were frightening without the others. But The Widow is dead, and Rock who snored, and Brita with her awful laugh, its far too quiet no matter where she goes. 

They agreed that they would regroup in a few months, but three weeks in and Crystal feels crazed. She’s riding aimlessly town to town, and she can tell it’s beginning to weigh on her psyche. So when she sees a vaguely familiar blonde head of hair at the tavern, she starts like she’s seen a ghost. 

Crystal has been to this area before, not long after they met, and it’s like deja-vu to see her here again.

“Gigi?” 

The woman turns around, and it is her. She’s a little more roughed up than when Crystal knew her, but it’s definitely her. She can’t bring herself to close the space, even as Gigi bounds towards her. 

“Shh, Crystal.” She whispers, and Crystal realises she’s forgotten the first rule. No names in front of strangers. “Yes, its Georgia, like the area. Elizabeth Georgia.” She smiles and its almost convincing, but Crystal can say the way the corners of her mouth twitch. “Thank you.” Gigi slams some coins down and takes her key, guiding a speechless Crystal by the arm as she searches for her room. 

Crystal notices the clothes are still the same, old and tattered by now, and there’s an anxious air around her old friend, but she lets herself be dragged along until Gigi finds room 4. She hurries to get them inside, and her shoulders drop with relief once the door closes behind them with a thud.

“Where have you been?” The question slips out before Crystal can even fully register what’s going on. She’s not eaten in a day or so, and its catching up to her quickly. Gigi shakes her head. 

“A lot of places, I’m so sorry, I wanted to come back, but things just kept falling apart.” Her eyebrows are creased together, and Crystal believes her. “I’m, ugh, robbing my father.” Gigi snorts. “Kinda anyway, I tried, he sent some people after me, so I couldn’t get back home to you guys, then I tried again… you get the point.

“And now?” 

“He should be here in a day or two.” Gigi mentions it like it’s no big deal.

“Does he know you’re here?” 

“I certainly hope not.”

“Gigi, what are you doing?” Crystal asks, frustration building under her skin as she stares at this woman she hasn’t seen in so long. 

Gigi turns, frowning. “Money, Crystal. I’m trying to get us money! Where is everyone else?”

Crystal is stunned for a moment, even though logically she knew Gigi didn’t know what had happened. She assumed she would have had her ear to the ground, but it seems it slipped right past her. 

“There was a heist. It’s a long story.” 

Gigi sits in her new bed, and pulls a little brown bottle out of her bag, and a pack of cigarettes out of her shirt pocket, offering them to Crystal. “We have time, if you want to tell it.” 

Crystal doesn’t have anywhere else to be, so she sits with Gigi and recounts the fall of the gang of Widow Von Du. The guards had been faster than anticipated, and some of their own had fallen before the others even knew they were discovered. They rode past their bodies while they escaped. 

The split, the instructions to get back to each other. The loneliness slips out by accident on her voice, and she knows Gigi can hear it. It makes her want to cry to seem so weak, which is a circular issue that usually ends with tears pouring anyway. She just about keeps them at bay, until she meets Gigi’s eyes and she’s not crying, but she looks so sad it’s enough to set her off. 

Gigi’s arms are around her in a hug before the first sob leaves her throat, and she leans into the comfort of it, touch starved after so many nights alone. Crystal lets herself cry for the loss of her friends. This is the first time she’s not been on lookout over her own shoulder in a long time, and her nerves are shot. Gigi shushes her, but doesn’t say anything else, and keeps her tight in her grasp. 

“I’m sorry I left.” She finally whispers when Crystal is able to breathe again. “I don’t know how much it woulda helped but I’m so sorry.” 

“We wouldn’t be together now anyway, even if you did.” Crystal says, and it’s shaky and thick with tears. 

“I don’t know, I think I could have doubled back and found you. Even if Jackie had my head on a pike for it. I’ve really missed you, Crystal.” Gigi’s voice isn’t much better, and her fingers flex against Crystal’s back. “So much.”

Crystal almost laughs. “So, tell me your story, what hell devil kept you from coming back?”

Gigi sighs. “I got arrested.” Crystal winces. “Yeah, I know. Widow would kill me, but I was. I seduced the deputy, escaped, then I had bounty hunters to deal with, my father… its been a lot.” It sounds it, and Crystal’s still confused. 

“Why?”

“I wanted the gang to have more.” Gigi says. “I guess it’s pointless now.” She leans back, eyebrows furrowed. 

Crystal finally gives her a good look. She looks older, new scrapes and scars on her arms and her eyes are drained. They still lit up when they looked at her though. Crystal is shy by nature, and brave in moments that need it, and this is one of those moments. 

“You should have just talked to me.” She says, and clears her throat. 

Crystal stands, shaking off the sadness in her chest, and reaches her hand down to Gigi. “So where are we doing this?” 

“What?” 

“Where’s the bastard with the money?” 

Gigi is silent, mouth hanging open. “Why?”

Crystal’s brow is set. “There are still some of us out there. We can still give them this.” Gigi breaks into a smile, and its different than before, but she’s still Gigi, and she’s still the prettiest girl Crystal has ever seen. And that includes Nicky. “And he sure doesn’t deserve it.” 

Gigi agrees, and comes in close to hug her again. There’s a tension in the room that had been building the entire time they have been together, through the crying and the way Crystal itches to kiss her. Gigi beats her to it, her hands resting lightly on Crystal’s shoulders, just about brushing her neck. “Can I kiss you?” She asks, and Crystal simply nods. 

Gigi kisses her and suddenly they’re back around the back of the bar, or in her tent late at night while they travelled. It’s a spark that Crystal has been missing, and Gigi groans deeply against her, a desperate and even anxious sound. 

Crystal never wants to let her out of her sight again. 

*

Gigi is the one who puts that want into effect. She’s by Crystal’s side the next two days as they wait for her father to ride into town, her vision often locked on the brunette rather than watching the streets below as she should be. 

He’s late. He was meant to arrive days ago, and Crystal is nervous to see him. She doesn’t know what kind of party he will ride with, or how obviously rich he will look. Gigi said she would know him when she’s sees him, and wonders how much she looks like him. Hopefully not too much. 

He rides in on the third day, just as they are about to give up and move on. He travels with two men, huge hulking goons that approach the hotel in front of him. They can hear them walking past them to another room, and it seems so simple its almost funny. Gigi had told her it would be, but Crystal feels uneasy, even as Gigi kisses her at midnight before they leave their room. 

Crystal has been the only one to leave in days, just to collect food to keep them going, but Gigi has been locked up the entire time. She’s restless, and distracted when Crystal is there, and even more so when she isn’t. She has Crystal visit the stables once ti check on Silver. The mare nudges her familiarly. 

The corridor is narrow and the floorboard are creaky. From what they could pull out of the walls, he was only a few rooms down from them. Gigi keeps her bandana over her face as they move. Her hand brushes Crystal’s, as if she is making sure she’s still really there. 

“Stay near.” Gigi murmurs, and it makes the fear in her gut churn. 

They make their way downstairs as quietly as they can, slipping out and past the man by the door. He is one of Goode’s men that he rode in with. They don’t look at him, and he hoots at Crystal, but there’s nothing more. Gigi grips her hand as soon as they’re out of eyeshot. 

They collect their horses and take off. It’s a few days ride to Gigi’s family home, and Crystal doesn’t want to step foot on it. Neither does Gigi, but once it comes into view, Gigi takes off like a shot. 

“Where is everyone?” She’s speaking more to herself than Crystal, as they dismount and leave the horses outside the giant townhouse. It’s very quiet, and Gigi slips them inside easily through a side door. 

The house is magnificent, and cold, and its nothing like anything Crystal has ever had the displeasure of seeing. Gigi had explained that her father was now a banker of sorts, and that he had a safe. One that she knew the combination of. That was the goal. 

They creep as quietly as possible through the halls. It’s still early morning, before sunrise, and no one seems to be awake. Gigi is almost vibrating with nervous energy, stumbling through the house and making a lot more noise than Crystal thought was possible from someone who had ever successfully carried out a robbery. Maybe the presence of the giant portrait of her parents was what was throwing her. It made Crystal uncomfortable anyway. 

The two dark haired people grimace down at her, and she rushes behind Gigi. Those people didn’t look like they had ever cracked a smile in their entire lives. 

The office door is predictably locked, and Gigi falls to her knees with a pin to pick it. She looks like she’s done this before, so Crystal leaves her to it and keeps watch. It’s still quiet, but she can see the sky begin to brighten through the windows. It’s still pink and early, but there’s a limit to their time, and that light is the only guide they have. 

Finally, the lock licks open, and Gigi strides inside, determined. “It’s behind here, help me.” She says, and bends to lift the couch by the wall. Crystal complies, and sure enough, there it is. Big and black and rock solid. Crystal can’t even imagine what’s inside. 

Gigi is sliding the dial through digits, slowly, and Crystal can feel herself start to sweat. “How much longer?” She whispers. Gigi sighs. 

“The combos been changed. Give me a minute.” She’s sitting with closed eyes, calling back details that must be years buried, before she’s moving again. This time it rings true. “Wedding anniversary, he’s so predictable.” The safe opens with a creak that causes them both to wince, looking at each other in panic, but there are no signs of movement from upstairs, so they edge the door open the rest of the way. 

And there it is. Bonds, cash, a few gold bars. It’s certainly not his entire fortune, but its more money than Crystal’s sure the entire gang combined has ever seen. Even Gigi’s eyes are wide. “C’mon, we gotta go. “Crystal nudges her into action and they load their satchels.

It’s a quick job and they are out before they know it. The sun is rising quick, and the horses are plainly visible standing in front of the house. Crystal is anxious and feels almost nauseous as they run to them and mount quick. 

They are just urging the horses into action when Silver tosses her head, jerking Gigi roughly, and the shouting begins. 

It’s a gardener, Crystal assumes, and he’s yelling, and upholstering a gun. He fires a warning shot in the air that surely has woken everyone on the premises. 

She shouts to Gigi and takes off. There’s a gunshot running out behind her but no pain, and El is gradually picking up speed. She can hear Gigi behind her but turns back anyway, just to make sure she’s following. She has recovered her balance and is only a leg behind her, so she faces forward and urges El on, even as he grunts his frustration. 

They ride for what feels hours, until there is no sounds of gunfire, until Crystal’s heart doesn’t feel like its about to give out. She guides them quickly into a forest area, keeping them shielded by the trees while they collect themselves. 

She almost falls out of the saddle, the weight of the gold in her bag messing with her balance. They hadn’t had time to load their charge into their saddlebags and she can feel the strap digging roughly into her shoulder. Tossing it on the ground, she watches Gigi dismount and catches her when her own balance was shifted. 

Gigi is grinning and tosses the money on the ground to kiss her. Her hands rest on Crystal’s waist, holding her close as she can, and Crystal laughs. She can barely breathe, and her heart feels like it’s about to burst, but they’re there. They have done it. 

Her hands roam Gigi’s body, trying to commit it to memory, when Gigi gasps against her. It isn’t a sound like the others she makes, and she pulls away. 

It’s not until Crystal looks down that she sees the blood. 

*

Jackie receives the note a month before they are meant to regroup, and leaves for the valley immediately. She has a long way to travel, the longest of all of them if the other stuck to their plans, and she’s probably the last to receive her letter. 

It’s Crystal, and she claims she has solved it all. The writing is spidery, and difficult to read, but she follows her gut and believes that it really is her. She hasn’t used the alias that they had come up with before, but Crystal could be forgetful, and Jackie needs a win. She needs to believe it’s actually her, and not a trap. 

It takes her over a week to get there, with as few breaks to sleep as possible, and there are already a few tents pitched when she makes it to the lip of the two hills. The relief is like a hot bath after a long ride. 

She spots Crystal straight away, with her big curly hair, and surrounded by a few of the girls. Not everyone is still here, but it feels as good as it can come to being back together again. Jaida shouts when she spots her, and all eyes fall on Jackie. 

“Crystal?” She’s exhausted, in desperate need of sleep, but that they are here again means something massive has changed. That something sits in a pile on the little dingy table someone has set up in the middle of the tents. Three small gold bars.

“That’s just some of it.” Heidi mentions, and she’s grinning. 

“I have the rest buried nearby.” Crystal’s voice is soft, less excited than the rest, and Jackie narrows her eyes. “It’s enough to take a boat somewhere.”

“You mean you could have met me somewhere closer? Halfway?” Jackie is leaning in for a hug before she’s even finished talking. “How did this happen?”

Crystal sighs. “I found Gigi, and we pulled a job.” 

Jackie narrows her eyes. “And Gigi?” 

Crystal sucks in air through her teeth. She’s explained to the other girls already, but Jackie is looking at her expectantly, and the rest of them are already focused back on the gold, holding it in their hands to weight it.

“She got shot.” Crystal said. “In the hip. She bled so much, Jackie.” She looks distant as she remembers, and shakes it off. “We couldn’t go to a doctor or anything.” 

“Is she dead?” Jackie knows Crystal was soft on the Goode girl. She’s trying to be as gentle as she can. 

Crystal just ducks her head, and Jackie is fearing the tears, until Crystal is smiling passed her, and Jackie feels hands clamp down on her arms from behind. She spins and there she is, limping in what looks like genuine pain. She has a bandage wrapped around her waist, but otherwise seems solid. 

“I burned the wound closed.” Gigi says, and Jackie sees Crystal wince out of the corner of her eye. “I wasn’t going to die until I saw your face when we brought back the goods!” 

Its more money than they need to move. It’s enough to start something new. Not for forever, but it’s enough to get her mind whirring. This is something they can work with. Disappear out of America for a while, until their faces are forgotten and their crimes faded from the ledgers. 

As Jackie sits down at the table, cooking up the best idea she can think of, Crystal makes her way to Gigi’s side, and lets her lean her weight on her. The infection that gripped Gigi’s life in its hands had passed, but the skin had not yet stitched back together, and she sleeps most of the day, but she’s getting better every day. 

“Morning, Miss Goode.” Crystal greets, and Gigi seems so excited to see her that the pain fades from her eyes, just for a moment. When she kisses her, there’s no rush to it, no more running away. 

“No need to coddle me, I know it’s well into the afternoon.” Gigi says, and brushes some curls behind Crystal’s ear. 

Crystal is just glad to see her up, and her heart beats fast seeing her look less pale. She can’t help but kiss her. Because maybe she can have that house with the dog and the vegetable garden, if she keeps playing her cards right, and their luck holds out.

**Author's Note:**

> Was originally gonna have them both die at the end, and it was gonna be really angsty and heart wrenching but then I thought, aren't we all sad enough as it is??
> 
> Please let me know what you thought anyway i'm terrified to reread this beast!


End file.
